Portable power scrubber with leveraged pressure feature

ABSTRACT

A portable scrubbing device for cleaning aircraft skin surfaces including on a carriage, a hand operated wand having a cleaning head and a handle at opposite ends, power driven brush means at the cleaning head, and means supporting the wand slidably intermediate its ends including structure mounting the wand for pivoted movement by an operator grasping the handle to variously apply the cleaning head to the surfaces to be cleaned.

United States Patent Franzreb [541 PORTABLE POWER SCRUBBER WITHLEVERAGED PRESSURE FEATURE [72] Inventor: Thomas G. Franzreb, RollingHills, Calif. [73] Assignee: Purex Corporation, Ltd., Lakewood, Calif.[22] Filed: Dec. 3, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 94,762

[52] U.S. Cl. ..15/98, 244/1 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B64f 5/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..l5/98, 103, 103.5, 97, 320, 15/321; 118/207, 108; 244/1 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,268,935 8/1966 Ungeheuer 15/98X 2,900,952 8/1959 Perry ..l5/103.5 X

[is] 3,665,542 1 May 30, 1972 3,551,934 1/1971 Franzreb ..15/97 R2,559,295 7/1951 Grossenbacher. 15/98 2,190,576 2/ 1940 Sisman 15/50 C3,035,331 5/1962 Wieman.. ...29/129.5 3,228,398 1/1966 Leonard ..15/244R Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Attorney-White, Haefliger & Bachand[57] ABSTRACT A portable scrubbing device for cleaning aircraft skinsurfaces including on a carriage, a hand operated wand having a cleaninghead and a handle at opposite ends, power driven brush means at thecleaning head, and means supporting the wand slidably intermediate itsends including structure mounting the wand for pivoted movement by anoperator grasping the handle to variously apply the cleaning head to thesurfaces to be cleaned.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED MAY 30 I972 SHEET 10F 2 IN VEN 70,2

Il /0.444s G fkq/vz/esa PATENTEDMMQ I972 3, 665, 542

SHEET 2 OF 2 PORTABLE POWER SCRUBBER WITH LEVERAGED PRESSURE FEATUREBACKGROUND or THE INVENTION This invention has to do with improvedcleaning devices particularly adapted to the effective cleaning ofaluminum skins of aircraft without scratching, abrading or otherwisemarring such surfaces. More specifically the invention is concerned withpower driven cleaning devices which may be hand directed to scrubaircraft skin surfaces with pressures in excess of those normallyconveniently realizable with operator strength alone.

PRIOR ART Numerous scrubbing devices have been devised but none to myknowledge have combined the features of my device, as hereinafterdescribed, which enable thorough cleaning, without surface damage, by asingle operator, and rapidly with varying degrees of pressure and atdifferent angles of application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention provides a portable scrubbingdevice for cleaning aircraft skin surfaces including a hand operatedwand having a cleaning head at one end and a handle at the opposite end,the cleaning head including a power driven brush means; and meanssupporting the wand intermediate its ends including structure mountingthe wand for pivoted movement by an operator grasping the handle tovariously apply the cleaning head to the surfaces to be cleaned. Thedevice may further include, as the wand mounting structure, a boom whichmay have multiple sections to be length adjustable, the boom beingmounted on a carriage for the device and carrying a swivel connectorabove the carriage. The swivel connector may comprise a sleeve pivotablysecured to the boom and adapted to slidably receive the wand. A motormay be provided for driving the. brush means and a cleaning fluid supplytank may be carried on the device carriage with conduit being providedfor delivery of cleaning fluid to the brush means. The brush meanstypically will comprise a generally cylindrical open cell polyesterurethane foam body mounted for axial rotation on the cleaning head, thebody preferably being relieved in radial axial planes below the bodysurface to increase flexing of the body when the same is rotativelyapplied to the aircraft skin surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be furtherdescribed in connection with the attached drawing of an illustrativeembodiment in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a device according to the invention as may beemployed to clean an aircraft skin surface;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the cleaning device in loweredoperating position taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a view greatly enlarged of the cleaning head foam block takenalong line 4--4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 2 showing the device in raised and extendedoperating position; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic of the air supply system to cleaning fluid tanksand motor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS raise or lower the boom outerend 9 is provided including hydraulic cylinder 13a secured by pivotconnection 14 to the carriage 2 and having its operating rod 15connected to an intermediate portion 16 of the boom by pivot connector17. Jacking handle 18 is used to raise the hydraulic jack mechanism 13,13a.

The cleaning wand 8 is attached to the boom outer end 9 by bracket 19.The cleaning wand 8 comprises a tubular member 20 having a cleaning headat its outer end, comprising a pair of brushes 2], such as foamcylinders 22 as hereinafter described, spray nozzles 23 supported on thewand by angle 24 located to spray cleaning solution delivered to thenozzles from one or both of tanks 5, 6 though supply conduit 25extending within the wand, onto the brushes. At the opposite end of wand8 handle 28 is provided suitable for grasping by the device operator anda motor such as an air motor indicated at 26 operating a drive shaft 26a(FIG. 3) to drive the brushes through a gear box 26b, rotatively onaxles 27.

Bracket 19 on outer boom end 9 comprises a pair of clamping rings 29, onframe 30 and plastic ring bearings 31 secured by bolts 32 sized toslidably receive the wand intermediate portion allowing advancement andwithdrawal of the wand through the bracket. The wand 8 further may berotated within the bracket. To enable this movement of the wand 8cleaning solution supply conduit 25 is kept within the wand along thesliding range of bracket 19. Where an air motor 26 is employed to drivethe brushes 21, the air is passed from an external supply (not shown)into the wand 8 from air supply line 33 at fitting 34 in the rear ofwand handle 28 and then to the motor 26 at the handle. Motor operationis effected by depressing on-off lever 35 to operate a control valve(not shown). Motor speed is adjustable by adjustment of needle valve35a.

The boom 10 is multisectioned, to be length adjustable. With referenceto FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the boom 10 is seen to comprise an inner section 36which is a rectangular box member and an outer section 37, a channelmember, adapted to overlie the inner section. Outer section 37 ishingedly secured to inner section 36 by hinge 38 to permit cantileveringof the outer section from the end of the inner section, compare FIGS. 2and 5. Inner section 36 at its outer end is provided with a throughopening 40 adapted to receive mounting pin 39. The outer section 37 issecured in its extended relation to the inner section 36 by the hinge 38and pin 39 carried by the outer section to extend through the opening 40in the inner section 36 when the outer section is extended. A lockingpin 41 carried on chain 42 is inserted transversely through the end ofpin 39 to lock the outer section 37 in place. Comparison of FIGS. 2 and5 illustrates the versatility of the arrangement of boom 10 and wand 8according to the invention. In FIG. 2, the boom 10 is short and thejacking rod 15 retracted so that wand 8 is relatively low. In FIG. 5,the boom 10 is fully extended and the jacking rod 15 also is extended sothat the wand 8 has a very considerable reach. It will be recalled thatbracket 19 is sized to permit sliding passage of the wand 8 therethroughwhereby the wand may be retracted or advanced through the bracket in anyposition of the sleeve, as determined-by the location of the boom end 9.In addition, the wand 8 is rotatable within the bracket 19 to allowvariation of the angle of presentation of the cleaning head brushes 2]to a workpiece.

A further freedom of movement is provided to the wand 8 by the jointedconnection of the bracket 19 to the boom 10. As best shown in FIG. 3, aconnector joint 43 is provided having a cylindrical terminal portion 44inserted through opening 40 in boom inner section, or opening 40a inboom outer section 37 if the boom is extended and fastened there againstwithdrawal by locking pin 41 or 41a on chain 42 or 42a in its transversebore 45 or 45a respectively, so as to be rotatable, and a jointedportion 46 comprising pivoted yokes 47, one of which is connected to thebracket frame 30 and the other to pin portion 44. The upper transversebore 45 in pin portion 44 is used when the connector joint 46 is securedat the end of the outer section 37. Jointed portion 46 of the connectorjoint 43 enables pivoted movement of the bracket 19 and thus the wand 8about the end of the boom 10 as a fulcrum, while the journaled relationof the connector pin portion 44 to the boom section opening 40 or 40aenables angular movement of the wand about the pin portion as a pivotpoint.

While various brush means may be employed, for the cleansing of aircraftskin surfaces, for which the present device is highly adapted, it ispreferred to employ an open cell polyester urethane foam body as thebrush, particularly such a body having a texture coarseness such thatthere are fewer than 100 pores per linear inch and preferably from fewerthan 10 to 25 pores per linear inch. With reference to FIG. 4, it ishighly preferred to employ a foam body 22 which is generally cylindricaland mounted for axial rotation on axle 27 and relieved in radial axialplanes below its surface 48 by a series of parallel axially extendedbores 49 through the body just beneath its surface thus to haveincreased body flexing when applied to an aircraft skin surface. Thisstructure produces an excellent foaming action with widely useddetersive liquids.

The cleaning and/or rinsing liquid is supplied to the brushes 21 by asystem of conduits as shown schematically in FIG. 6. Pressurized airfrom an external source (not illustrated) is introduced through conduit50 and regulator 51 to tanks 5 and 6, the tank pressures being monitoredby gauges 52 and 53 (FIG. 1) and controlled by shut of? valves 54 and55. Liquid in tanks 5 and 6 added through fill openings 56 and 57, showncapped, is forced out of the tanks 5 and 6 or one or them depending onthe open or closed condition of valves 58 and 59in lines 60 and 61respectively, leading from the tanks into supply conduit 25 which passesup through the wand 8 to the nozzles 23. A portion of source pressurizedair is passed along line 33 to the wand handle 28 to power the air motorat 26 which drives the brushes 21 through drive shaft 26a and gear box26b.

in operation, the scrubbing device is rolled to a workpiece such as anaircraft and locked in position with drag brake 3a or locking brake 3b.Air is supplied to conduit 50 to pressurize the tanks 5 and 6, and tooperate the motor through control lever 35. Cleaning liquid in one orboth of tanks 5 and 6 is sprayed onto the rotating brushes 21. Thebrushes 2] are applied to the workpiece surface by manipulation of thewand 8 universally about the connector joint 43 held at an appropriateelevation by the boom 10. Forward and rearward movement of the wand 8through bracket 19 enables accommodation of curvature in the workpiecesurface, while the rotatability of the wand enables variation in thecleaning stroke applied to that surface.

lclaim:

1. Portable scrubbing device for cleaning aircraft skin surfacesincluding cleaning fluid supply means, a carriage, a hand operated wandhaving a cleaning head at one end and a handle at the opposite end, saidcleaning head including a power driven brush means and means supportingthe wand intermediate its ends including a boom mounted on the carriage,a swivel connection bracket carried on the boom above the carriage, saidwand having an intermediate portion slidably receivable by said bracketto support the wand for pivoted movement to various operating positionsby an operator grasping the handle to variously apply the cleaning headto the surfaces to be cleaned.

2. Portable scrubbing device according to claim 1 in which said boomcomprises multiple sections to be length adjustable.

3. Portable scrubbing device according to claim 1 including also a motorfor driving said brush means and in which said cleaning fluid supplymeans includes a tank and conduit for delivery of cleaning fluid to saidbrush means.

4. Portable scrubbing device for cleaning aircraft skin surfacesincluding a hand operated wand having a cleaning head comprising a motordriven brush means at one end and a handle at the opposite end, acarriage, a cleaning fluid supply tank carried thereon, a boom pivotallymounted on the carriage, a

bracket carried for swiveling movementbyJ said boom, and conduit fordelivery of cleaning fluid to said rush means, said wand having anintermediate portion slidably receivable by said bracket to support saidwand in various operating positions.

5. Portable scrubbing device according to claim 4 which said brush meanscomprises a generally cylindrical closed cell polyester urethane foambody mounted for axial rotation on said cleaning head, said body beingrelieved in radial axial planes below the body surface to increaseflexing of the body when rotatively applied to an aircraft surface.

6. A portable scrubbing device for cleaning aircraft skin surfacesincluding a carriage, a pair of fluid supply tanks on the carriage, airsupply means communicating air pressure into the tanks, a multiplesection boom pivotally secured to the carriage to move in a planebetween said supply tanks, a universally movable bracket carried by theboom at the outer end thereof, a hand operated wand having anintermediate portion slidably received in said bracket and supportedthereby above said carriage said wand having a cleaning head at one endincluding axially rotatable polyester urethane foam brush means and ahandle at the opposite end, an air motor means communicating with theair supply means to drive the brush means and fluid delivery means forpressurized fluid in the supply tanks to the cleaning head forapplication by the brush means to the surfaces to be cleaned asdetermined by the operator directing the location of the cleaning headby manipulation of the wand handle across the bracket to the boom.

1. Portable scrubbing device for cleaning aircraft skin surfacesincluding cleaning fluid supply means, a carriage, a hand operated wandhaving a cleaning head at one end and a haNdle at the opposite end, saidcleaning head including a power driven brush means and means supportingthe wand intermediate its ends including a boom mounted on the carriage,a swivel connection bracket carried on the boom above the carriage, saidwand having an intermediate portion slidably receivable by said bracketto support the wand for pivoted movement to various operating positionsby an operator grasping the handle to variously apply the cleaning headto the surfaces to be cleaned.
 2. Portable scrubbing device according toclaim 1 in which said boom comprises multiple sections to be lengthadjustable.
 3. Portable scrubbing device according to claim 1 includingalso a motor for driving said brush means and in which said cleaningfluid supply means includes a tank and conduit for delivery of cleaningfluid to said brush means.
 4. Portable scrubbing device for cleaningaircraft skin surfaces including a hand operated wand having a cleaninghead comprising a motor driven brush means at one end and a handle atthe opposite end, a carriage, a cleaning fluid supply tank carriedthereon, a boom pivotally mounted on the carriage, a bracket carried forswiveling movement by said boom, and conduit for delivery of cleaningfluid to said brush means, said wand having an intermediate portionslidably receivable by said bracket to support said wand in variousoperating positions.
 5. Portable scrubbing device according to claim 4which said brush means comprises a generally cylindrical closed cellpolyester urethane foam body mounted for axial rotation on said cleaninghead, said body being relieved in radial axial planes below the bodysurface to increase flexing of the body when rotatively applied to anaircraft surface.
 6. A portable scrubbing device for cleaning aircraftskin surfaces including a carriage, a pair of fluid supply tanks on thecarriage, air supply means communicating air pressure into the tanks, amultiple section boom pivotally secured to the carriage to move in aplane between said supply tanks, a universally movable bracket carriedby the boom at the outer end thereof, a hand operated wand having anintermediate portion slidably received in said bracket and supportedthereby above said carriage said wand having a cleaning head at one endincluding axially rotatable polyester urethane foam brush means and ahandle at the opposite end, an air motor means communicating with theair supply means to drive the brush means and fluid delivery means forpressurized fluid in the supply tanks to the cleaning head forapplication by the brush means to the surfaces to be cleaned asdetermined by the operator directing the location of the cleaning headby manipulation of the wand handle across the bracket to the boom.